Memo: Cash Offered To Building Inspector

August 13, 1988|By Michael Blumfield and Bob Levenson of The Sentinel Staff

An executive in the Lake Nona development offered a ''sum of money'' to an Orange County building inspector earlier this month, according to a memo the inspector wrote to his boss.

County Administrator Tom Sewell has asked the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office to investigate whether the offer was a bribe to persuade the inspector to speed the opening of the development's $6 million clubhouse.

Sewell said Friday that he and State Attorney Robert Eagan plan to meet Wednesday to discuss the investigation. Eagan would not comment.

In an Aug. 5 memo to his supervisor, inspector James F. Ward wrote that, earlier in the day, the Lake Nona executive ''called me outside and offered me a sum of money. (I could not determine the amount.)''

Lake Nona executive vice president Chris Deverell said he told the executive not to talk to The Orlando Sentinel. Deverell said in a written statement Friday that ''based upon my own inquiry into the facts and circumstances, I am confident that no misconduct of any sort has occurred.'' Deverell, who is not accused of offering the money, would not elaborate.

Lake Nona, southeast of Orlando International Airport, was criticized last year by airport officials who feared people who moved to the development would sue because of aircraft noise. Developers agreed to force homebuyers to sign legal papers pledging not to sue the airport.

When completed, the project will include houses and apartments for 30,000 people, a shopping center, a hotel and an industrial park. Although a golf course has been completed for two years, the clubhouse is one of the first buildings to be finished. Only two families are living on the 6,700-acre site. The alleged offer was made as Ward conducted a final check of the clubhouse air conditioning system at about 10:15 a.m. that day.

Ward never filed a report on that inspection. But an examination by other inspectors Wednesday showed that the air conditioning failed a test to see if it would shut off when smoke was present, a crucial function to keep a fire from spreading.

The clubhouse, which Lake Nona officials hope to open by September, cannot be occupied until the air conditioning passes the test and another final inspection is done.

Ward wrote that he was talking with two construction supervisors during his inspection when the Lake Nona executive invited him outside the clubhouse. Once outside, the executive flashed a wad of cash at him and said, ''I have something here for you,'' Sewell said Ward told him.

The inspector said he refused the money. A short time later, the executive invited Ward and his wife to dinner at an Orlando restaurant, according to Ward's memo. In the memo, Ward wrote that he accepted the invitation, but Sewell later said Ward turned it down.

Ward went to his office and wrote the memo to his boss, chief mechanical inspector Phil Simmons. Sewell said he talked with Chief Assistant State Attorney Belvin Perry the same day. Ward met with Perry on Monday, Sewell said.

''He did exactly what he was supposed to do,'' Sewell said. ''He reported what happened as soon as he had an opportunity.''

Perry would not comment about his discussion with Ward.

Ward and Simmons also would not talk about the incident. Sewell said he did not know what will be discussed at the meeting Wednesday with Eagan.

In his statement, Deverell said he ''views the allegations with the utmost seriousness,'' and is ''confident that any investigations will find no wrongdoing on the part of any of our employees.'' He also said he is ''only prepared to get into specifics with the relevant authorities.''

Ward, 55, a building inspector for 2 1/2 years who makes $10.87 per hour, has been inspecting the clubhouse heating and cooling systems since December. He has approved all other work he has examined.

Since the investigation, Ward has been assigned to inspect construction projects other than Lake Nona's, Sewell said.

Sewell and Deverell said they would have seen nothing wrong with Ward accepting the executive's dinner invitation. Deverell said Lake Nona employees are free to treat business associates to meals.

''Social entertaining is not against company policy and I would view it as nothing more than social entertaining,'' he said.

County policies allow all employees to accept meals and drinks as ''a customary business practice,'' Sewell said.

Simmons said inspectors should not accept social invitations such as the one reportedly offered by the Lake Nona official.

''I've never had one offer to take my wife and I out to dinner -- never,'' he said.